Pump system



J. A. BOYD 2,333,614

PUMP SYSTEM Filed Sept. 22, 19 41 5 INV TOR.

Patente d Nov. 2, 1943 PUMP SYSTEM Joseph A. Boyd, Pendergrass, Ga., ;assignor -,of 3

three-fourths to Coley B. Whelchel, Jefierson,

Application September 22, 1941, Serial No. 411,920

4 Claims.

My invention relates to the generation of power, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved section of driveway designed to utilize vehicles passing thereover for compressing air in a storage tank to perform useful work.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a section of driveway incorporating my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the embodiment selected for illustration, I make use of a pavement or driveway section Ii provided with closely spaced air compressing cups l2. These cups are preferably of circular formation when viewed according to Figure 1. In Figure 3 the cups l2 are inverted and provided with beads l4 about their perimeters, which beads are secured in flanges I6 about the perimeters of metallic plates I8 anchored in the pavement 20 at such depths as to bring the flanges l6 flush with the pavement surface 22. The cups l2 are preferably formed of rubber.

Each plate I8 is provided with a short tube 24 having communication with the air pace 26 of its cup and provided with a valve seat 23. A pipe 30 is connected with the tube 24 and serves as an abutment for a compression spring 32 which urges a ball valve 34 against the seat 28. Each plate I8 is also provided with a second tube 36 connected with a pipe 38. Tube 35 has communication with the space 26 and is provided with a valve seat 49 normally engaged by a ball valve 42 urged thereagainst by a compression spring 44 having one end engaging the plate [8 and its other end engaging the ball valve. Pipe 38 constitutes an air inlet conduit for its respective cup [2 while the pipe 39 constitutes an air outlet conduit for the same cup.

In operation, the resilient material of the cup l2 and its specific formation cause the cup to assume the normal contour of Figure 3. Movement of the vehicle across the cup causes collapse thereof, which forces air in the space 26 past the ball valve 34 and into the outlet conduit 30. As pressure is removed from the cup !2, the cup returns to its normal position which causes air to reenter the cup past the ball valve 42. All the cups are identical in construction and operation, and each pipe 30 is connected with a cross pipe 46 having a branch pipe 48 communicating with an air storage tank 50. Each pipe 38 is connected with a cross pipe 52 having an air inlet branch 54. Thus the air compressed through the medium of the cups I2 is delivered to the storage tank 50, while air for refilling the cups is delivered thereto through the medium of the branch pipe 54, the cross pipe 52 and the pipes 38.

The cups I2 project above the pavement surface 22 so that the cups are fully collapsed when a vehicle wheel passes thereover. The normal contour of the cups is a gentle one and th resilient nature of the cups affords complete protection against injury to the vehicle wheels. The plates 18 and all the pipe 30 and 38 are effectively anchored in the pavement 20.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention, that others may,

by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. The combination of an air storage tank, a resilient and compressible air chamber means inherently cupped and adapted to be anchored to a driveway structure, an air inlet conduit means for said air chamber lying beneath the vehicle supporting surface of the driveway and provided with an air inlet check valve means, and an air outlet conduit means placing the air chamber in communication with said air storage tank and provided with an air outlet check valve means, said air outlet check valve means lying beneath the vehicle supporting surface of the driveway, said air chamber means normally projecting above the face of the driveway structure and being collapsible by a vehicle passing thereover to deliver air trapped therein to said air" storage tank.

2. The combination of an air storage tank, a resilient and compressible air chamber inherently cupped and adapted to be anchored to a driveway structure, an air inlet conduit for said air chamber provided with an air inlet check valve lying beneath the vehicle supporting surface of the driveway structure, and. an air outlet conduit placing the air chamber in communication with said air storage tank and provided with an air outlet check valve lying beneath the vehicle supporting surface of the driveway structure, said air chamber normally projecting above the face of the driveway structure and being collapsible by a vehicle passing thereover to deliver air trapped therein to said air storage tank.

3. The combination of. an air storage tank, a series of closely spaced resilient and compressible air chambers inherently cupped and adapted to be anchored open faces down to a driveway structure, each compressible air chamber being protherein to said air storage tank.

4. The combination of a pavement, flanged plates anchored in said pavement, compressible dome-shaped cups having their perimeters se- 15 10 passing thereover to deliver the air trapped cured to the respective plates by the flanges thereof, said cups being inherently dome-shaped, an air inlet check valve means communicating with each cup and attached to the plate thereof, an air outlet check valve means communicating with each cup and attached to the plate thereof, a storage tank, conduits connecting each air outlet check valve means with said storage tank, and conduits connected with said air inlet check valve means and communicating with the atmosphere, said cups normally projecting above the face of said pavement to be collapsed by a. vehicle passing thereover for delivering air trapped therein to said storage tank. 2

JOSEPH A. BOYD. 

